Excuses to Call Off Work (12 That Work in 2026)

12 excuses to call off work, ranked by believability and ease of delivery.

The list

1. Stomach bug. "Can't keep anything down."
2. Migraine. "Can't look at a screen."
3. Family emergency. "Will fill you in when I'm back."
4. Doctor's appointment. Real, defensible.
5. Mental health day. Increasingly accepted.
6. Sick child. If you have kids.
7. Food poisoning. "Bad meal last night."
8. Bad cold / flu.
9. Plumber / electrician. "4-hour service window."
10. Car trouble.
11. Power outage / internet down.
12. Burst pipe.

Delivery

• Notify early, ideally before your shift.
• Be brief. "Out sick today, will be on Slack if urgent."
• Match team norms, text, Slack, email, or call.
• Don't over-explain.

What to avoid

• Posting on social media during your "sick" day
• Same excuse twice in a row
• Excuses that create documentation you can't produce
• Calling out adjacent to holiday weekends repeatedly

Try not to need them

If you're calling out frequently, the underlying issue is probably the job. Sorce auto-applies to 5M+ jobs. Free swipes every day. Maybe the better answer is a better job.

Call-in excuse text template

Hi [Manager], I need to call out today due to [illness/family emergency/urgent personal matter]. I will update you if anything changes and will make sure urgent work is covered.

Short, direct, and early is better than a long explanation.

For more: reasons to call out of work, good excuses to call out of work, best reasons to call out of work.